Spraying apparatus for treating livestock



Nov. 28, 1950 H. E. WHITMIRE EIAL 2,532,251

SPRAYING APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIVESTOCK Filed Sept. 3, 1949 Whig}, g gsggggg e ggs INVENTORS'. HOMER E. WHITMHRE RALPH J. KNEPPER ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED PATENT SPRAYING'APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIVESTOCK Homer Whitmire, Clayton, andcRaiphr'J. KHBDJ-r per, Kirkwood; Mm, assignors to: W hitmire Research- Laboratories, 1110;, St. Louis; Mo; a'cornarration of Missouri I Application September S, 1949; Serial No: 113,984

'LClaimsi (Cl. 119-l59)- This invention relates-generally to animal husbandry; and-w particularly to an apparatus ion treating livestock to control infestation b n-parasiticrlarvaepu The infestation of: livestock" by soscalled" grubs, which are the larvae of the heel fly; is

a condition whichalnot only retardsutheqgrowth and 1 development of the: animal ,1 butlmay render thehide; or: substantial portionswof it, unfit for leather: The grub establishesitself beneath the hide, bores a vent: hole-through the hicla: ,and, growsto maturity and?finally; emerges through; The losses suiferedlby livestock, producers because, of; grub the hole in"; the hide 1 ct theianimall infestation of their cattle amountto-stupendous sums 1 each year.

Heretoforesitihas been proposed to,treat cattle for grub infestation by spraying themwithhigh velocity, high pressure, needle like streams of insecticide. The -impingement of suchlneeolle,- like streams upon therbackseofi the cattle is, painful and shockingto, them, disturbing, to

their temperaments, andtonly partially eiiective; for the reason thatrthe-hair. protects, thelarva s vent hole from direct exposure .to theneedle, likewstreams and, unless the insecticide is delivered at the larvas vent hole the larva ismnot contacted with it;

The object of the present invention, generally stated, is to provide an apparatus for delivering an insecticide beneath thehair, of cattle, and at the vent hole of the larva.

Another object of the invention is toprov-ide a device of the character referred to which is easy to -manipulate, andwhich followsthe contour of the animalsbody asit is manipulated, irrespective of the direction in which. the device is, moved:

Other objects will becomeapparentto those skilled in the art whenthe following, description read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and, wherein:

Figure 1,is a view in sideelevation ofwabriute,

undergoing treatment with the apparatustofr the, i a

ward-1y from the head i.-

a -bore zis-gand is connectedwith: the head I so thatwfluid may pass frorn therinterior of head: I

mon; source of supply; and manipulated so that, irrespective of Whether the device is being pushed forwardforpulledtbackward, and irrespective of whetherpthe animal is; tall or short, or Whether the man manipulating it is; tall or short, the, several series, of tines will follow: the contour 1 of i the animals body;

The; invention particularly contemplates that the handlevbywhich the rake-like device-above mentioned is manipulated be a rigid pipe, serving 110135 only as a manipulating handle but as a conduit for delivering the insecticide from a source of supply to the aioresaid tines; andthat such conduit-handle be fiexibly connected with th-e members from a which thErfiIlESrwdGDEXld.

Referring now to the drawings-for an illustrative embodiment: of the-invention; the device consists:essentiallyof a head, i having a hollow interior. Aplurality-of tines.2- extend down Each of the tines-has through thebores '29. The-tines are sufiiciently rigid to avoidbendi-ng in-use; being preferably maderotwmetal tubing:

Associated, with-the head I a length of pipe which functions not'only-as a handle by l which thehead I ma-y be manipulated. but also as a conduit through-which the 7 insecticide may betransmitted from: a source not shown to the headl; Accordingly, the pipe 3 iseonnectedto thehead: 1| by a fiexiblexfluid connection 5, which may take the form of atfiexible pipe, or a short length l of a hose:

In; order to assure that 'the tines 2 remain in contact, with theskin of the-animal being treated, andwextend in a direction substantially perpendicular to. theportion undergoing treatment at any; increment of time, a floating mechanical;connection is provided between the pipes and thewhead i, such that the flexible fluid, connection i-x is substantially relieved of all: mechanical forces incident to the manipulation of the devices In the-embodiment shown, said mechanical connection; consists: of swing hangers "on links 5 tar-1611 5; pivotallyconnected at their: upper. ends to-the, pipeg 3l in lengthwise spaced relation, while their lower ends are pivotallyconnected to thehead l in spaced relation (lengthwise of pipes) but 'closerthan the connectionto pipe 3, so it that the swing hangers 5* and diverge upwardly;

In the embodiment .shown in detail in Figures Zand 3; and headvtis made up oiipipeand pipe fittings, andtconsists ofma of header pipes The Tandii; each having a" central T i -and :i ii. extremitiesof the header pipes? ands are closed; asbyvcaps Him Eaohot .the pipes itandeis drilled and threaded c to accommodate 13. 61671 plurality, of

tines 2, so that the central bores 29 therein communicate with the interior of the respective header pipes. Interconnecting the Ts 9 and ii] is a series of nipples and Us leading to a central T l3. From the latter T, the flexible connection 4, shown as a short length of rubber hose, extends to and connects with pipe 3 through T It. Beyond T 14, pipe 3 is provided witha T 15, which is closed against the egress of fluid from the interior of the pipe, but arranged to pivotally mount a pair of links constituting swing hanger 5. At the opposite side of T M, pipe 3 is arranged to pivotally mount a comparable pair of links constituting the swing hanger B. The lower ends of the swing hangers 5 and 6 are provided with holes of a size to accommodate the respective header pipes l and 8, and thus pivotally mount the parts relative to each other.

Outwardly beyond the pivotal connection between the swing hanger ii and the pipe 3, the latter is provided with a valve l6, preferably of the spring type, having a thumb lever ll. The valve D6 is so located that during manipulation of the device, one hand of the operator may grasp the valve to open or close it, as the circumstances require.

As clearly shown b the dotted lines in Figure 2, the arrangement above described permits a substantial variation in the angularity of conduit handle 3 relative to the plane of the tips of tines 2. lhe arrangement is nonetheless such that, irrespective of whether the device is being moved toward the left or toward the right, the trailing gang of tines is prevented from tilting up out of engagement with the skin of the animal. It is readily apparent that, where the handle is flexibly mounted with reference to the tines, the resistance offered by the hair against movement of the lower extremities of the forwardmost tines will tend to tilt the device about the tips of the forward gang of tines, thus lifting rearward gangs of tines out of contact, unless some means is provided for so preventing. The arrangement of swing hangers shown in the drawings prevent such tilting, irrespective of the direction in which the device is being moved, and irrespective of the angle (within practical limits) which the conduit handle 3 may assume relative to the plane of the tines. Thus, whether the animal being treated is large or small, or whether the man who operates the device holds the handle high o low, makes no difference in the angle with which the several gangs of tines 2 engage the animal.

By moving the device back and forth across the back and sides of a grub infested animal and concurrently delivering insecticide through pipe 3, head i, and tines 2, the hair of the animal is roughed and the insecticide delivered at the skin where the vent has been cut by the larva. The tines 2, which are associated with header pipe I, are preferably in staggered relation relative to the tines 2 which are associated with header pipe 8. In the embodiment shown there are eight tines associated with header pipe 7, while there are only seven tines associated with header pipe 8, so that the tines of the latter gang follow in the spaces between the tines Of the former gang. It is desirable that the tips of the several tines be rounded rather than sharp, in order to prevent the possibility of lacerating the animal during treatment, and to minimize the possibility that the tine may hang in a vent opening cut by a grub. With the use of the device of the present invention, it is not necessary to apply insecticide under pressures higher than that g necessary to move it from the source through the device. which is pleasant and refreshing to the animal, rather than painful and shocking.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art should readily understand the construction and operation of the device, and realise that it accomplishes its objects. While a complete disclosure has been given of one embodiment, it is to be definitely understood that the invention is not limited to the details of that embodiment. Other variations will immediately present themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the principle of the invention. Consequently it is to be understood that such modifications and variations as do not depart from the scope of the appended claims are contemplated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the kind described comprising a header, a gang of tines projecting downwardly from the header, said tines having a bore extending from the tips thereof and communicating with the interior of said header, an elongated rigid conduit, and a flexible connection between said conduit and said header arranged to pass fluid from the interior of the conduit to the interior of the header.

2. The device of claim 1 having a link pivoted at one end to the header and at the other end to the conduit.

3. A device of the kind described comprising a pair of headers connected in spaced parallel relation, tines depending from said headers, an elongated handle extending in a direction substantially at right angles to said headers, and swing hangers connecting said handle to said headers respectively.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the swing hangers converge toward the tines.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein the tines have bores extending from the free ends thereof to the interior of the headers, and a flexible conduit connected with said headers.

6. A device of the kind described comprising a head having a multiplicity of hollow tines depending therefrom, an elongated rigid conduit arranged to extend laterally away from said head, a pair of swing links pivoted to said conduit at positions spaced lengthwise thereof and pivoted to said head at positions more closely spaced, and

a flexible conduit connected with said header.

7. A device of the kind described comprising a hollow header, a series of hollow rigid tines depending from said header, said tines having pointed tips, an elongated pipe connected-at one end to said header, and a valve near the opposite end of said pipe.

HOMER E. WHITMIRE.

RALPH J. KNEPPER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 634,617 Hansen Oct. 10, 1899 983,820 Goff Feb. 7, 1911 1,147,546 Rees July 20, 1915 1,534,241 Nichols Apr. 21, 1925 1,728,113 Fertally .Sept. 10, 1929 Consequently the treatment is one 

